Many home experts agree that the floor color should be darker than the walls. The rule generally applies because lighter walls and a dark floor make the room seem larger. Most homeowners prefer a spacious looking interior. However, the rule can change with low ceilings.
Which do you prefer – light or dark hardwood? Both dark and light floors work very well, and only you can choose which is best for you and your home. Dark floors tend to be more stylish and hide imperfections while light floors tend to show dirt less and last longer.
Decorating Tips for Color
Light and bright colored walls are more reflective making a room feel open and airy, and maximizing the effect of natural light. Dark colors, on the other hand, absorb light, making a room look smaller. Soft/bright color tones tend to make a room not only look bigger, but also more inviting.
The perfect way to make sure that your wood floor tones, furniture, molding, and home accessories match with your walls is to opt for a neutral shade of paint. Irrespective of whether the wood floor has orange, gray, or yellow undertone, they will coordinate well with neutral walls.
A dark floor combined with light walls and a light ceiling creates a contrasting effect. The human eye finds it easier to focus on contrasts, and this will make the room appear more interesting.
1) Light and dark flooring
Choosing lighter coloured flooring to compliment your furniture can expand the perceived size of any room and can open the space right up. Think cream carpets, natural and neutral toned tiles and whitewashed wood flooring.
A light-colored flooring such as light oak or a light-colored carpet will make the room appear brighter and more open. The same applies to the ceiling—use a light color or white to "open up" the space above. Increase the appearance of the size of the room by adding wall mirrors.
Lighter floors inherently make a room feel larger. If you're hoping to carry that feeling through the space, choose wall colors that are bright, neutral and light in color. If pure white is too harsh, go with gray or white paint with an undertone of a different shade.
To match your gray flooring to your walls select a flat gray paint that is the same shade or lighter in color for best results. This will help avoid the space from appearing too dark. Other wall colors that work well with gray flooring are sand, honey, light green and pale yellow.
Dark-colored floors can make rooms seem darker and smaller. If a room doesn't receive a lot of natural light, a dark floor can make it appear gloomy and uninviting. When space is limited, as it often is in condos and apartments, dark floors can give the illusion of even less space.
Dark brown hardwood floors in particular never seem to go out of fashion, they are always trendy and still in style. There's something about the contrast between dark wood floors and bright, light walls, white kitchen cabinets, furnishing etc. that epitomize a sophisticated and upmarket style.
So, is it true that dark floors make a room look smaller? Dark floors will not automatically make your room look smaller. While overloading a small space with dark colors will absorb light and make the space feel even smaller, dark floors can actually help to open a space up, if done correctly.
Both light colors and wider planks have been the hardwood styles of choice with designers and architects for years, however 2020 forecasters predict that this will be THE hot look in flooring for consumers.
If you make the classic choice of wood for its durability, warmth, comfort on your feet and easy repairability, a light colored option such as pine or ash, or an even lighter peach-hued maple, will do a great job of hiding dust.
What is the 60-30-10 Rule? It's a classic decor rule that helps create a color palette for a space. It states that 60% of the room should be a dominant color, 30% should be the secondary color or texture and the last 10% should be an accent.
So, what colors make a room look bigger? For an optimum effect, go with soft tones like off-white, blues, and greens, and always remember that brighter rooms feel bigger and more inviting. And here's another hack: Try painting your wall trim and moldings in a lighter color than your walls.
The question of whether your floors should be a darker or lighter color than your walls all depends on your style and the mood you want to create in the space! It also depends on the color of your floors. A general rule of thumb to follow is to go for whichever combo has the most contrast.
Both the light and dark wood color floors are best for white walls. For best results, use lighter wood or carpet with white walls or any other light-colored walls. When combined with light-colored walls or white floors, dark floors can appear more severe.
There is absolutely no need to change flooring from room to room. We often work with homeowners who feel the urge to pick a different flooring for every room of their home, but there is absolutely no need to do this. Your home will look best if you create one consistent look that travels from room to room.
And should the wood floors be lighter or darker than the cabinets? Decorators all agree on the answer. Wood floors can be lighter or darker than the cabinets, as long as the colors complement each other. The best way to do this is to start your project by picking 2 complementary colors and an accent color.
When it comes to small-space decorating, the common advice is to go all-white on the walls to reflect the most light and make the space feel bigger.
Big floral patterns make a room appear larger. Install wallpaper with horizontal stripes to make a room seem wider, or commit to vertical stripes to stretch the room visually and raise the ceiling. A busy pattern featuring chevrons, simple geometric designs, or a texture that mimics marble can make a room seem bigger.